I finally broke my plateau! After loosing 40 pounds in four months, I was stuck at the same weight for three months! I wouldn’t gain and I wouldn’t lose! Finally I started the Couch 2 5k program, bought a Body Bug, started a great protein drink for breakfast, and am not eating more than 3-4 ounces of protein at each meal. The scale is finally moving!! I am a very happy girl again!:thumbup:

Congratulations, Maggie!!!!

Mimi

Congrats. Isn't the bodtbugg great?!

Dore

oh, there is hope for me yet!

Dore - yes, the BB is great! It really motivates me when I'm done with work on whether I should work out. I check my status for the day and think, I HAVE to work out - I have X amount of calories still to burn! It's a real motivator!

Lana24: There is definitely hope! Just don't get too discouraged and quit!

I'm stuck on a plateau and I am a bodybugg user faithfully. I log in about 1200-1400 calories consumed and each day hit well past the 2400 calories burned that should be giving me a daily deficit of 1000 calories but I'm stuck. I am going to try changing up diet, going to higher intensity workouts. Just having to tough it out right now and it ain't fun.

SpecialK -

I feel your pain! Have you tried the Couch-2-5K program at all (if you don't mind running)? It seems that since I started that (and I changed a few other things up too), I started moving down the scale again. Regardless, you must be so proud of yourself for your considerable achievements! Keep going!

What is a body bug? Please tell me more. I have been STUCK for about 6 months and I think that I have acutally gained over the last month. i am exercising...infact getting get for a hour long hike as soon as I send this...but I am still a mega foodie!!!! I am working to be more mindful of my eating and not graze and munch all day. Looking for anything to help out, I have about 40 lbs left to go

You can find info about the BodyBugg online at Enroll in bodybugg.

After reading the material (and also search this forum for other BodyBugg Threads), feel free to ask questions.

Cool, thanks. Is this the thing that they use on biggest loser? Looks interesting. I have never been a calorie counter because I always did weight watchers and concentrated on points. Do I have to know the calorie content of what I eat or does the wed-based program figure that out for you. I am going to continue reading about it, might be a cool idea for my christmas list.

Yes, this is what they use on the Biggest Loser; although I only just realized that myself as the current season is the first of the program I've ever watched.

You don't have to know the calorie count of everything you eat as BB has a lot of foods in their database. However, if you can't find the calorie information in their database, you can enter the nutritional content manually, which takes about 5 seconds. You can either refer to the product from your home or you can search for the calorie content online. I've had no problems finding calorie information, even for items I buy out, such as a Starbucks drink.

The nice thing about the BB is that it lets you know where you are during the day as for the amount of calories burned. To lose a pound per week, you need to keep an average daily deficient between calories burned and calories consumed of 500. My goal is to burn 2 pounds per week, so my daily deficient is 1000.

I hope this helps!

I finally broke my plateau! After loosing 40 pounds in four months, I was stuck at the same weight for three months! I wouldn’t gain and I wouldn’t lose! Finally I started the Couch 2 5k program, bought a Body Bug, started a great Protein drink for Breakfast, and am not eating more than 3-4 ounces of protein at each meal. The scale is finally moving!! I am a very happy girl again!:thumbup:

Wow, I am freaking out about not losing any weight in about three weeks, I was banded on 8/17/09 and so far I have lost 27 pounds; I cant get past 242; I am exercising; not eating anything and not losing; I am afraid to death; your testimony is encouraging; would llike more details regarding your exercise program. Janice :biggrin:

Janice,

First and most importantly, you said that you're "not eating anything." Please understand that as tempting as it is, you can't starve yourself into losing weight! You need to eat and you need to eat right. You should have been provided with nutritional information before your surgery, such as how much Protein you should be eating, as well as carbs and veggies. If you try to starve yourself, or if you don't eat enough, your body goes into starvation mode and you will not lose weight.

I try to eat 1500 calories a day (although some days I'm lucky to get past 1200), and I try to burn 2500 calories each day. If I do this each day, I should lose 2 lbs per week.

So, to make sure you're eating right, you should be sure to have breakfast. Eating in the morning has never been my thing, but I found a Protein powder that I really like. So, I have that in 8 ounces of 2% milk each morning and it keeps me satisfied until lunch.

I also have lunch (usually a 1/2 turkey sandwich on wheat), a snack (usually a piece of fruit and 2-3 hard boiled eggs, egg whites only), and then dinner.

An example for dinner: I'm eating 3-4 ounces of protein (steak, chicken, fish, etc.), a 1/2 potato baked with only a 1/2 teaspoon of oil and some fun seasonings (no butter, no sour cream), and a 1/2 of corn on the cob and an ice tea with lemon. This is about 400 calories (which is good).

As for exercising, I've recently started the Couch 2 5K program, but if you're just starting out on this journey, that may be too difficult. You certainly don't want to overdo and then never want to exercise again. So, I suggest walking, either outside or on a treadmill. Try to walk for 30 minutes. Each week, increase your time by 5-10 minutes and your intensity. Right now I workout for an hour on the treadmill. Physically I could do more, but I don't seem to have the time. To begin, I do the Couch 2 5K program for the first 1/2 hour, then I walk at an incline of 8 for 10 minutes, I walk at an incline of 5 for 5 minutes, then I bring it down to 2 and very slowly warm down. Time permitting; I also lift free weights to tone my arms.

I really hope this novel helps you. Please feel free to ask questions - and just remember, starving yourself is not the answer! I unfortunately made that mistake and I think that’s what led to my overlong plateau!

Maggie

Janice,

First and most importantly, you said that you're "not eating anything." Please understand that as tempting as it is, you can't starve yourself into losing weight! You need to eat and you need to eat right. You should have been provided with nutritional information before your surgery, such as how much Protein you should be eating, as well as carbs and veggies. If you try to starve yourself, or if you don't eat enough, your body goes into starvation mode and you will not lose weight.

So, to make sure you're eating right, you should be sure to have breakfast. Eating in the morning has never been my thing, but I found a protein powder that I really like. So, I have that in 8 ounces of 2% milk each morning and it keeps me satisfied until lunch.

I also have lunch (usually a 1/2 turkey sandwich on wheat), a snack (usually a piece of fruit and 2-3 hard boiled eggs, egg whites only), and then dinner.

An example for dinner: I'm eating 3-4 ounces of protein (steak, chicken, fish, etc.), a 1/2 potato baked with only a 1/2 teaspoon of oil and some fun seasonings (no butter, no sour cream), and a 1/2 of corn on the cob and an ice tea with lemon. This is about 400 calories (which is good).

As for exercising, I've recently started the Couch 2 5K program, but if you're just starting out on this journey, that may be too difficult. You certainly don't want to overdo and then never want to exercise again. So, I suggest walking, either outside or on a treadmill. Try to walk for 30 minutes. Each week, increase your time by 5-10 minutes and your intensity. Right now I workout for an hour on the treadmill. Physically I could do more, but I don't seem to have the time. To begin, I do the Couch 2 5K program for the first 1/2 hour, then I walk at an incline of 8 for 10 minutes, I walk at an incline of 5 for 5 minutes, then I bring it down to 2 and very slowly warm down. Time permitting; I also lift free weights to tone my arms.

I really hope this novel helps you. Please feel free to ask questions - and just remember, starving yourself is not the answer! I unfortunately made that mistake and I think that’s what led to my overlong plateau!

Maggie

Hi Maggie,

Thanks for responding; I meant that I am not eating anything that I should not be; I am following my manual to the T - I dont think and I know that I am not eating 1500 calories per day; not with the diet menus that I am using: I usually have a Protein shake or 6 tablespoons of Cereal for breakfast; lunch includes grilled chicken and vegetables and the same for dinner; I usually do not get to a snack in between; I track all my foods on fitday.com and I journal; but, each day, I only get at the most 850 calories in per day. I do not eat sandwhiches yet, maybe I should incorporate those into my lunch; I love wraps. I so want to be successful at this and thought that I would contiunue to lose at least 2 pounds per week, I have included using some weights into my routine, I have just started using the treadmill, I was walking about 40 minutes 3 times per week. Yeah, I try to get about 60 grams of protein in my diet per day. What is the Couch 2 5K program? Congratulations on breaking your plateau. Thanks this is great inforamtion :biggrin:

Maggie,

I can't tell how long you've been at this, but I loved your advice for Janice. I'm nearly at my 2 year mark and am struggling. I came online today because I'm really frustrated. Your post really helped to re-focus me. I think I needed to be reminded of the specifics again. Thank you! Congrats on breaking your plateau. Headed to the gym now to enjoy my day off. Paige

Janice:

Good to know you aren't starving yourself! But, something to consider - do you think you're eating enough? Perhaps try a week or two at 1000 or even 1200 calories - just add a couple of egg whites as a snack and perhaps a piece of fruit or something. It may help with the weight loss.

The link I use for the Couch 2 5k program is Cool Running :: The Couch-to-5K Running Plan. Scroll about mid-page for the weekly schedule for your runs/walks. There are other threads on the program on this forum - those may help too.

Paige: In answer to your quesiton, I've been at this for eight months, but the first four months were actually quite easy (once I stopped overeating and followed the program, the weight just fell off!). It's the last four months that I've had to really educate myself on everthing, especially on why I was losing weight anymore. Glad I could help re-focus you. It's great you're heading to the gym so early - that really helps I think, to get it out of the way early in the day. I too worked out this morning, and it's just nice to know that when I finish working today, I can have dinner and chill out. It's always hard come 6pm to log off, go home and work out.